Dry amalgamator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. DE PIGANIERE.

DRY AMALGAMATOR.

WITNESSES N. PETIZIIS. Plwlu-Lilhogmphcr. W-ISllingklvL D. C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2;

(No Model.)

A. DE FIGANIERE.

DRY AMALGAMATOR.

Patented Dec. 26

.dttorneyr.

N. PETERS. Pllulo-Lfllmgmphur. Wnslving'un. D. C.

UNT ED STATES PATENT Trice.

AFFONSO DE FIGANIERE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO JOH W. BAILEY, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

DRY AMALGAMATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,645, dated December26, 1882.

Application filed May 17, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, AFFONSODE FIGANIERE, ofthe city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain newand useful Improvements in Dry Amalgamators forExtracting Precious Metals from Ores, of which improvements thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to effect in a to thorough and economicalmanner the extracting of the precious metals from their ores by theso-called lead process of extraction; to which end my improvementsconsist of an apparatus for grinding and pulverizin g such ores 1 in thepresence-of molten lead or alloys, as

hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the practice of my invention, the ore, having first been crushed to asuitable size, is fed or forced through the body of molten metal to thebottom of the containingvessel, whence the ore by reason of inferiorspecific gravity rises and passes through or between submergedgrinding-surfaces, the precious metals being liberated and combined withthe molten metal and the gangue removed.

111 the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view ofthe improved apparatus. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are details ofthe machine. Fig. 10 is a detail of the machine, but also shows amodification therein. Fig. 11 represents a further modification.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in the respectivefigures.

Referring to the drawings, the following is a detailed description of mypulverizing and amalgamating machine. I

A vessel, A, preferably made ofiron and of tapering form,is mounted insuitable masonry, A, and placed above a furnace, A employed 40 formaintaining the fluidity of the mass of lead or alloys. The furnace isprovided with the usual doors and mountings, and has a flue for theescape of products of combustion, marked a. The vessel is provided nearits bottom with an annular inwardly-projecting rim, a, which serves asthe lower bearing for a series ofindependent rollers, a The upperbearing of the rollers a consists of a ring, a having an upper and'alower concave face, (shown in plan in Fi 7,) the lower face of whichring rests on the tops of the'lower series of rollers,

a An upper series of rollers, a, rest within the upper concave face ofthe ring. The bottom of the vessel A is furnished with an outlet, I),closed by a screw-plug, b, or a suitable valve. At the upper part of thevessel is a circular trough, 0, also having an outlet, 0, which remainsopen. In the vertical center line of the vessel A is mounted therevolnble grinder B, which impinges and rotates with and upon the seriesof rollers c and a, giving revolution to the respective series. Therollers serve as the sole or principal bearing for the grinder after theplan of the well-known anti-friction hearings in ordinary use. To the 6;upper part of the grinder B is attached by means of flanges (Z d (shownspeciallyin Figs.

8 and 9) a hollow shaft, B, which may have a suitable upper bearing. Theorifice or bore of the shaft B extends to the bottom of the grinder B,opening into the lower part of the vessel A. The hollow shaft B isfurnished with a pulley, B which is used in rotating the shaft. Ahopper, B is placed at the upper part of this shaft. Working within the7 hollow shaft B is a second hollow shaft, 0, which throughoutthegreater partof its length has a diameter smaller than that of theorifice or bore of the hollow shaft B. Thelower end of the shaft 0 isformed into a valve-bucket, O, the external diameter of whichpractically corresponds with the inner diameter of the hollow shaft B,the bucket having with its shaft 0 an intermittent verticalreciprocating movement within the shaft B, as hereinafter described.Within the valve-bucket is a valve, O (Shown on enlarged scale in Figs.3 and 5.) The valve is attached to a rod, 0 connected to a yoke, 0 whichyoke operates with the wrist-pin d of the crank-wheel D, the yokesliding on guides D, these parts giving the necessary movement to theforced feed.

In the description of the operation of the machine which follows,certain parts thereof, not yet described, with their functions will be 5explained.

Promising that the vessel A is supplied with molten lead or alloys tothe height indicated,

and that the valve-bucket and valve are at the beginning of the downwardstroke, the

bottom edge of the bucket stands at the point indicated by the line ita: above the openings 0 in the hollow shaft B at the base of the hopperB The ore in a granulated state passes from the bin E in a quantityproportional with the cubical capacity of the valve-bucket O to thehopper, entering the holes a, and-drops and rests upon the molten metalwithin the hollow shaft B, and there awaits the downward stroke of thebucket, withinwhich the ore is gathered and forced to the lower end ofthe grinder B. At this point the bucket rests and the ore is expelledtherefrom by the-eontinued downward movement of the valve O At thegathering of the ore into the bucket, and during the downward stroke,the ore is prevented from passing upward through the valve by theclosing of the movable plugf against its seat f, thereby cutting off theupward escape of the ore, which is retained in position by its pressureagainst the molten metal until expelled, as above stated, by the furtherdownward movement of the valve, the bucket being at that timestationary. To effeet the expulsion of the ore the plug ofthe valvepasses somewhat beyond the lower edge of the bucket. The valve likewiserests at the end of the stroke in consequence of the wrist-pin d.reaching the enlarged central space of the yoke 0 which renders the yokefor the time inoperative. The ore by reason of inferior specific gravitythen rises through the molten metal to and between the grinding surfacesand spaces between the rollers.

The construction and action of the parts constituting the forced-feedmechanism are more particularly described as follows:

The upper end of the shaft U is provided with a projecting anti-frictionpin, 9, and a slot 9. The rod C has also a projecting antifriction pin 9The valve and its attendant parts being and resting in position forbeginning the downward stroke (in consequence of the wrist-pin dentering the enlarged space of the yoke in order the reverse of that previously described) the anti friction pin g is in engagement with the topedge of the shaft 0, and upon the downward movement of the rod itsmotion is imparted to the shaft 0 until a point is reached when theanti-friction pin 9 enters the curved groove of the guide-plate H,

(shown in Fig. 2,) when the pin g, by traveling therein, will cause theshaft 0 to receive a limited radial or axial movement. The pin, after itleaves the curved portion of the aforesaid slot, enters the straightportion ofthelatter, and is stopped on reaching the abutment at thebottom thereof. The radial or axial movement of the shaft causes theslot g to register with the anti-friction pin of the rod C and thedownward movement of the said rodlis not checked, but continues till theend of the stroke imparted by the yoke is reached, as shown in Fig. 1.Thus it will be seen that after the pin 9 reaches the end of the curvedgroove of the guide-plate H no further movement of the valve-bucket canoccur, while the continued movement of the rod and its valve isadmissible, causing the plug f to be forced below the bucket, therebyexpelling the ore, as above stated. The ore thus expelled rises byinferior specific gravity into the spaces k 1. existing between thelower series of rollers, a, Fig. 6, and is caught and ground between thewall of the containing-vessel and the rollers and grinder B, whosesurfaces revolve in a direction transversely of that taken by theascending ore. The grinding is continued by the upper series of rollers,a, acting, as before, in connection with the grinder-and the wall of thevessel. By reason ofthe transverse action of the grinding-surfaces theore in its ascent is retarded to the needed extent, and by means of therapidity which may be given to the grinder B the escape of ungroundmaterial is prevented and the thorough pulverization of the ore insured.A rapid combinatinn of the lead or alloy with the precious metalsliberated by pulverization will take place, and when the lead has becomeenriched to that degree at which it begins to thicken or lose itsfluidity it may be drawn off through the outlet I). The pulverizedgangue, when freed from the grinders, will rise through the body of thelead to its surface, which is some distance below the edge. of thevessel A, so that there shall be a body of gangue to protect the leadfrom atmospheric oxidation, the surplus being removed by a sweep, J,affixed to the hollow shaft B, and dropping into the surrounding troughc, finding exit through the open pipe 0 by the aid of the scraperj.

To compensate for the displacement of the lead consequent upon thedownward move ment of the bucket, apertures d are provided in theflanges d (I, which lead into the body of lead and admit an inflowthereof within the shaft B. Upon the upward stroke of the bucket thelead passes through the ports d d in the valve and bucket, respectively,and also through the apertures d d of the plug f into the bottomlessbucket and to the body of lead below, as will be seen by reference tothe position of the parts in Fig. 3.

The rotary movement in one direction of the grinder and rollers would,were no means adapted to prevent it, impart a corresponding rotarymotion to the body of lead in the upper part of the vessel. To preventthis result I provide stationary blades I, Fig. 10, bolted or otherwisesecured to the vessel, and extending below the molten lead or alloys towithin a clearing distance of the top of the grinder B.

In Fig. 10 is shown a modification in the arrangement of thegrinding-rollers, there being no concave ring-hearing, but a bearing forthe upper series 0t rollers similar to that provided for the lowerseries.

In Fig. 11 a modified construction and arrangement of the blades I isrepresented, whereby they provide slightly-inclined planes upon whichthe molten metal would have a tendency to mount, but the metal by forceof gravity finding its level, the practical immobility of the mass issecured.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to extract preciousmetals fromores by forcing the latter through a bath or column of mercury andgrinding said ores simultaneously with the process of amalgamation.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and wish to secure byLetters Patent- 1. A furnace, a containing-vessel, grindingrollers, anda revoluble grinder provided with a central tube, combined with aforced-feed mechanism and devices for giving it vertical reciprocatingmovement within the central tube of the grinder, substantially as and-for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. A furnace, a containing-vessel, grindingrollers, a revoluble grinderhaving a central tube, a valve-bucket, a hollow shaft forming anextension of the bucket, and a valve and rod placed centrally within thebucket and hollow shaft, combined with means for giving an intermittentvertical reciprocating movement to the bucket and hollow shaft and valveand rod jointly and an independent similar movement to the valve and rodseparately, substantially as and forthe purposes hereinbefore set forth.

3. The containing-vessel, the grinding-rollers, and the grinder having acentral tube and oritices leading thereinto from the upper part of thevessel, combined with the valve bucket and its hollow shaft and valveand rod centrally within the shaft, the valve and bucket having uppercorresponding or coincident apertures, and the valve a movable plug forclosing and opening the valve, substantially as and for the purposeshereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination of the crank-wheel D, 0

wrist-pin d, yokeO, rod 0 having the bucket G and pin g hollow shaft 0,having the slot gand pin 1, and revoluble grinder B,surrounding saidhollow shaft, and guide-plate H with the amalgamating-pan A, as and forthe purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the crank-wheel D, having wrist-pin t1, yoke 0*,provided with a central enlarged space, rod 0 having the bucket U andpin 1 hollow shaft 0, having the slot 9 and pin g, revoluble' grindersurrounding said hollow shaft, and guide-plate H with theamalgamating-pan, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the upper and lower series of grinding-rollershaving respectively rounded lower and upper ends, and ring-bearinghaving an upper and a lower concave face with the amalgamating pan andrevoluble grinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. 'lhestationaryamalgatnating-pan A, having wings or blades 1,projecting in a down-' ward and inward direction from its top rim, in

combination with the revoluble grinder B, op-

A. DE FIGANIERE. p..- s.

Witnesses:

GEORGE H. HOWARD, W. T. OoLE.

